3 Pre-driving checks and adjustments
Keys .......................................................................3-2
Nissan vehicle immobilizer system
(NVIS) keys (if so equipped) .............................3-2
Doors ......................................................................3-3
Locking with key ................................................3-3
Locking with inside lock knob............................3-4
Locking with power door lock switch (if
so equipped) ......................................................3-4
Child safety rear door lock ................................3-4
Remote keyless entry system (if so equipped)......3-5
How to use remote keyless entry
system ...............................................................3-5
Battery replacement ..........................................3-8
Hood .......................................................................3-9Trunk lid................................................................3-10
Opener operation ............................................3-10
Key operation ..................................................3-11
Interior trunk lid release...................................3-12
Fuel filler lid ..........................................................3-13
Opener operation ............................................3-13
Fuel filler cap ...................................................3-13
Steering wheel .....................................................3-15
Tilt operation ....................................................3-15
Sun visors ...........................................................3-15
Vanity mirror ....................................................3-15
Mirrors ..................................................................3-16
Inside mirror.....................................................3-16
Outside mirror remote control .........................3-16
ZX
TILT OPERATION
Pull the lock lever down and adjust the
steering wheel up or down to the desired
position. Push the lock lever up firmly to lock
the steering wheel in place.
WARNING
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. You could lose control of your
vehicle and cause an accident.
CAUTION
Do not store the sun visor before re-
turning it to its original position.VANITY MIRROR
To access a vanity mirror, pull the sun visor
down and lift the mirror cover. Some vanity
mirrors are illuminated and turn on when the
mirror cover is opened.
WPD0028LPD0022APD1076
STEERING WHEEL SUN VISORS
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-15
ZX
the influence of alcohol. Every year thou-
sands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related accidents. Although the lo-
cal laws vary on what is considered to be
legally intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol
affects all people differently and most
people underestimate the effects of alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don't mix!
And that is true for drugs, too (over-the-
counter, prescription, and illegal drugs). Do
not drive if your ability to operate your
vehicle is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or
some other physical condition.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
On automatic transmission models the igni-
tion lock is designed so the key cannot be
turned to LOCK and removed until the shift
selector lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
When removing the key from the ignition,
make sure the shift selector lever is in the P
(Park) position.
When the key cannot be turned to the LOCK
position, proceed as follows to remove the
key.1) Move the shift selector lever into the P
(Park) position.
2) Turn the ignition key slightly toward the
ON position.
3) Turn the key to the LOCK position.
4) Remove the key.
The shift lever is designed so it cannot be
moved out of P(Park) and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition key is
turned to OFF or if the key is removed from
the switch.
The shift selector lever can be moved if
the ignition switch is in the ON position
and the foot brake pedal is depressed.
There is an OFF position between the
LOCK and ACC positions. The OFF posi-
tion is indicated by a ``1'' on the key
cylinder. When the ignition is in OFF, the
steering wheel is not locked.
In order for the steering wheel to be
locked, it must be turned about 1/8 of a
turn clockwise from the straight up posi-
tion.
To lock the steering wheel, turn the key
to the LOCK position. To unlock the
steering wheel, insert the key and turn it
WSD0004
IGNITION SWITCH
5-4Starting and driving
ZX
gently while rotating the steering wheel
slightly right and left.
WARNING
Never remove or turn the key to the
LOCK position while driving. The steer-
ing wheel will lock. This may cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle and
could result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
The ignition switch includes an anti-theft
steering lock device.
The key can be removed only when the
ignition switch is in the LOCK position.
On manual transmission models, to turn
the ignition key to LOCK from ACC or ON,
push in the key, then turn the key to LOCK.
In order for the steering wheel to be
locked, it must be turned about 1/8 of a
turn clockwise from the straight up posi-
tion.To lock the steering wheel, turn the key
to the LOCK position. Remove the key.
To unlock the steering wheel, insert the
key and turn it gently while rotating the
steering wheel slightly right and left.
WARNING
Never remove or turn the key to the
LOCK position while driving. The steer-
ing wheel will lock. This may cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle and
could result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
KEY POSITIONS
LOCK: Normal parking position (0)
OFF: (Manual transmission model) (1)
The engine can be turned off without locking
the steering wheel.
ACC: (Accessories) (2)
This position activates electrical accesso-
ries such as the radio when the engine is
not running.
ON: Normal operating position (3)
This position turns on the ignition system
and the electrical accessories.
WSD0005
Starting and driving5-5
ZX
Selector lock release
If the battery is discharged, the shift selector
lever may not be moved from the P (Park)
position even with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the shift selector lever button
pushed.
To move the shift selector lever, release the
shift lock and push shift selector lever but-
ton. The shift selector lever can be moved to
N (Neutral). However, the steering wheel
will be locked unless the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
To release the shift lock, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Turn the ignition key to the lock position
and remove the key
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover.
4. Insert a small screwdriver in the shift lock
slot, and push down.
5. Push the shift selector lever button and
move the shift selector lever to N (Neu-
tral) position while holding down the shift
lock.
If the shift selector lever cannot be movedout of P (Park), take your vehicle to an
authorized NISSAN dealership as soon as
possible.
Accelerator downshift
in D position
For rapid passing or hill climbing while driv-
ing, fully depress the accelerator pedal to
the floor. This shifts the transmission down
into third gear, second gear or first gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
WSD0008
5-10Starting and driving
ZX
in an accident. Make sure the shift
lever has been pushed as far forward
as it can go and cannot be moved
without depressing the button at the
end of the lever.
cNever leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
c
Do not leave children unattended in-
side the vehicle. They could unknow-
inly activate switches or controls.
Unattended children could become
involved in serious accidents.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling
into traffic when parked on an incline, it is
a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
cHEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
s1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
cHEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
s2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.cHEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
s3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away from
the center of the road if it moves.
4. Turn the ignition key to the LOCK posi-
tion and remove the key.The power assisted steering is designed to
use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine,
to assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks,
you will still have control of the vehicle.
However, much greater steering effort is
needed, especially in sharp turns and at low
speeds.
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be much harder to operate.
POWER STEERING
5-18Starting and driving
ZX
The brake system has two separate hydrau-
lic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you
will still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on
the brake pedal will be required to stop the
vehicle and stopping distance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This overheats the brakes,
increases wear on the brake linings and
pads, and reduces gas mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down
a slope or long grade. Overheated brakes
may reduce braking performance and could
result in loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
cWhile driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an acci-
dent.
cIf the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, your braking distance will be longer
and the vehicle may pull to one side during
braking.
To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal
to heat up the brakes. Do this until the
brakes return to normal. Avoid driving the
vehicle at high speeds until the brakes
function correctly.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS) (if so equipped)
The anti-lock brake system controls the
brakes at each wheel so the wheels do not
lock when braking abruptly or when braking
on slippery surfaces. The system detects the
rotation speed at each wheel and varies the
brake fluid pressure to prevent each wheel
from locking and sliding. By preventing wheel
lockup, the system helps the driver maintain
steering control and helps to minimize swerv-
ing and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Normal operation
The anti-lock brake system does not oper-
ate at speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10
km/h). The speeds vary according to road
conditions. When the anti-lock system
senses that one or more wheels are close to
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-19
ZX
cAlways attach safety chains before
towing.
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off theground or place the vehicle on a flat bed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
cNever tow automatic transmission
models with the front wheels on the
ground or four wheels on the ground
(forward or backward), as this may
cause serious and expensive dam-
age to the transmission. If it is nec-
essary to tow the vehicle with the
rear wheels raised, always use tow-
ing dollies under the front wheels.
cWhen towing automatic transmis-
sion models with the front wheels on
towing dollies, or when towing
manual transmission models with
the front wheels on the ground:
cTurn the ignition key to the OFF
position, and secure the steer-
ing wheel in a straight ahead
position with a rope or similar
device. Never secure the steer-
ing wheel by turning the igni-
tion key to the LOCK position.
This may damage the steering
lock mechanism.
cMove the shift lever to the N
(Neutral) position.
ACE0511
6-12In case of emergency
ZX